Covered Bridge Festival

Dates: October 12th - October 21st;

401 E Ohio St
Rockville
Rockville, Indiana 47872

This countywide festival, Indiana's largest festival, always starts on the 2nd Friday in October is nationally known as one of the largest. Enjoy visiting communities throughout the county with a wide array of shopping and a variety of food that is sure to please everyone.

Headquartered on the courthouse lawn in Rockville, Indiana, since 1957, you will find food served by many of the non-profit organizations of the county that use funds from the Festival to promote their organizations throughout the year. A large tent and streets around the courthouse filled with crafters and vendors for your shopping delight are open daily from 9 am to 6pm. Some have been here since the festival began. Free entertainment is scheduled on the south side of the courthouse throughout each day. Continued Below......

Beeson

Billie Creek

Bowsher Ford

Mansfield

Mecca

Melcher

Antique stores and shops around the brick lined streets of Rockville invite you stop by for a visit. You never know where you might find that one of a kind item you have been looking for, or something no one else has. The Covered Bridge Art Gallery on the north side of the square is open daily for your viewing of local artists display.

During the Parke County Covered Bridge Festival, guided bus tours are offered from the Rockville Courthouse Square from the Northwest corner (36 and Market St). The bus tours (comfortable seats, A/C, heat, etc.) depart at various times throughout the first 9 days of the festival, last for about 3 - 3.5 hours, and are $15 a person. Reservations for the 2018 Covered Bridge Festival will start July 1st, 2018.

North Route: Includes the towns of Tangier (known for their famous buried beef) and Bloomingdale (known for their apple butter) as well as 5 covered bridges (West Union, Marshall, Rush Creek, Jackson, and Catlin).

Southwest Route: Includes the towns of Montezuma (known for their hog roast), Mecca (known for their one-room schoolhouse), and Rosedale (known for their shopping at their civic center) as well as 6 covered bridges (Melcher, Sim Smith, Phillips, Mecca, Roseville, and Thorpe Ford).

The Historic Ritz Theater is home to the Parke Players. It is located ½ block west of the square, they provide entertainment for the entire family during the festival. Doors are open and tickets are available 1 hour prior to curtain time.

Bridgeton offers a wide array of crafters and vendors, a gristmill, the 1878 House, Case Log Cabin, and 1925 school house.

Many other roads throughout the county will take you to places that have crafters, vendors and activities during these 10 days.

The Old Railroad Depot at 401 East Ohio is home to Parke County’s information center. For all of your Parke County information contact Parke County Incorporated at P.O. Box 165, Rockville, IN 47872 or email info@coveredbridges.com for a map of the county with marked covered bridge routes, lodging listings, and schedule of events so that you may plan your visit during the Festival or at another time throughout the year. We are here to help you plan your visit to the "Covered Bridge Capital of the World".